1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of vinyl and metal siding for attachment to the side of buildings. More specifically, it relates to bracket or rail systems for the mounting and retention of said siding. In particular, it deals with a novel design for an attachment rail incorporating a locking member or portion to aid in the retention of a section of siding mounted/hung thereon while simultaneously providing support and helping to maintain the shape of the overlapping section of siding terminating at said rail. The features of the invention also allow it to be used for attachment of ceiling members as well as siding members.
2. Prior Art in the Field
Metal and plastic siding members are generally planar in configuration and are typically formed with a bottom portion bent inwardly and then upwardly to form a longitudinal channel with a vertical planar xe2x80x9cleg.xe2x80x9d The top portion of each panel member is typically formed with a longitudinal lip projecting out and then down so as to correspond to the channel running along the bottom of the panel member positioned above. A securement flange extends above the longitudinal lip of each panel. Panel members are typically secured to a wall along their top portions utilizing fasteners extending through the securement flange extending along the top of each panel. The overall system appears, upon a cursory review, to be simple and efficient with little need for improvement. However, the appearance of the finished siding is dependent upon the regularity of the substrate to which it is fastened. Most siding members are flexible, and tend to conform to the substrate on which they are mounted. Thus, as the underlying substrate/wall settles, or the surfacing members comprising same warp, or when (due to inherent defects) it is already possessed of undesirable asymmetries, the siding attached to the wall will become irregular, distorted and unattractive. In order to overcome these tendencies it is desirable to provide a linear mounting rail or bracket which can be fastened to the side of a building surface to be covered and provides a more stable substrate for the siding members attached thereto. An example of such a linear mounting rail can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,127 issued to O""Neal in 1996. Such rails often feature a leg member that extends outwardly and then downwardly so as to generally conform to, and be capable of insertion into, the longitudinal lip extending along the upper portion of each siding member below the securement flange. (See, e.g., xe2x80x9cshoulder 43xe2x80x9d having xe2x80x9chorizontal leg 50xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cvertical leg 51xe2x80x9d in U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,127). However, such rails are, themselves, far from perfected. One problem that often arises grows out of the method in which such rails are used. It is advantageous when using rails of this type to mount a siding member thereon and then to fasten siding member and rail to the substrate simultaneously. Siding members often slip or fall from current art rail members prior to the completion of this process, greatly exacerbating the difficulty of utilizing such rail members and of installing siding. This results in the need to invest increased time/labor in the installation process with a consequent increase in costs and a reduction of profitability for the contractor/builder.
It is the purpose of this invention to provide a mounting rail for siding members that is simple and efficient to use, and possesses means for maintaining siding members hung thereon in place once rail and siding member are joined together via insertion of the rail""s leg member into the longitudinal lip running along the top of the rail member. It is a further purpose of this invention to improve the attractiveness of the siding mounted thereon by simultaneously providing means for supporting and maintaining the shape of the bottom portion of the siding member mounted above the rail. Finally it is a purpose of this invention to provide the foregoing features in a locking portion of the rail member that forms an integral part and extension of the generally planar material forming said rail member. The foregoing features are provided in a rail member having: (1) A downwardly extending leg or shoulder member extending longitudinally along its lower edge; (2) a upwardly extending flange extending longitudinally along its upper edge; and (3) intermediate said leg and flange, a longitudinally extending portion of said rail that extends out and down, then back and up so as to form an intermediate locking member capable of hooking or holding in place the upward flange of a siding member mounted on said downwardly extending leg or shoulder member.